


"I'd like it if you stayed"

by serendipitous_rambles



Series: Shirbert prompts [1]
Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: F/M, Marilla knows, Sentence Prompts, She ships it, Shirbert, gilbert is a gentleman, walking anne home in the rain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-23 07:17:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20004433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitous_rambles/pseuds/serendipitous_rambles
Summary: Gilbert walks Anne home, when it starts to snow.Sentence prompt: "I'd like it if you stayed"





	"I'd like it if you stayed"

* * *

  


"I'm telling you, there's no a in definitely." Anne shook her head. "You've been spelling it wrong for _years_."

Gilbert chuckled, kicking a rock as he walked. "I should add an 'e' instead?" 

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, trying not to smile. They'd been friends for a while now, slowly but surely building up that trust. Most days Gilbert would walk Anne home after their extra lessons with Miss Stacy, and Anne was glad of it. She liked the company, especially now the days were getting shorter. And she liked having casual debates with Gilbert, always challenging each other or sharing ideas. He was a good conversationalist - but no way would she ever tell him that. His ego was big enough.

As they made it out of the woods, the sun was almost gone. Anne looked up at the sky to see a large cloud, darker than usual. It was sure to snow soon.

Usually Gilbert would say goodbye at this point, walking his own way towards the Blythe farm. But the past few days he'd started walking Anne closer and closer to the Green Gables gate. 

As she stood at the gate, about to say goodbye to Gilbert, she felt something fall on her head. Looking up, she could make out a few snowflakes beginning to fall from the dark sky. 

Gilbert watched her hold out her hand, catching the snowflakes and letting them melt. She got so engrossed in things like this and he found himself mesmerised by _her._ He didn't notice how heavy the snow started to get.

"Anne," he said, pulling her out of her trance. "I should probably go."

She looked back at Green Gables. There was a warm glow from the windows, Marilla must have lighted the candles already. 

"It's getting quite heavy." She said. "Are you sure you're ok to get home?"

He nodded, "Don't worry about me."

But that was the thing. She did worry about him. It was dark and cold. And he was her friend, she didn't want him to lost or die from the cold. He didn't even have gloves on.

Anne moved without thinking, and grabbed Gilbert's wrist as she ran up the path towards the porch.

"Anne what-" he started to say but she kept on running until they were stood on the wooden panels.

She looked up at Gilbert; a few snowflakes had fallen into his hair, standing out against the dark curls. His nose had started to turn red, and if she were Ruby she might have thought how cute he looked. _Might_ have.

"It's cold, Gilbert." She shrugged, "and I don't want you to get ill. Then I'd have no one to beat in class…"

"We can't have that now, can we?" He raised an eyebrow and she laughed, playfully pushing him. 

He laughed too and the sound set a bubbling feeling into the pit of her stomach. She liked it when he laughed. So often was his face scrunched up in concentration during class that she sometimes forgot he _could_ smile. Lately it seemed the only time he really did was around her. She was sure Bash made him smile, she didn't want to get a big head. But he always seemed much more relaxed during their walks home than any other time she'd seen him.

They stood on the porch of Green Gables in comfortable silence, smiling at each other. 

"I should go though, Bash will wonder where I am."

"No," Anne impulsively grabbed his arm again but retracted it immediately. "I mean. I...I'd…" she looked down at her hands. " **I'd like it if you stayed**."

"Oh." He said softly, a smile slowly growing on his face.

"It's heavy snowfall, you should just stay here for a bit. Until it calms down."

He nodded, glancing up at Anne. "I'd like that. Thank you."

She lead him into the kitchen, Marilla already cooking dinner.

"Is that Gilbert?"

"Yes ma'am." He smiled politely. "Anne invited me in just to wait out the snow storm, if that's alright."

Marilla looked at Anne, then back at Gilbert, a knowing smile on her face. "I don't see why not."

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I think Matthew is still chopping some firewood out back."

Gilbert nodded, "I'll go help him."

Anne slowly took off her coat, waiting for Marilla to say something. 

"That was nice of you to let Gilbert stay." 

Anne shrugged nonchalantly, "It was getting cold out there. I was just looking out for my friend."

"Of course." She smiled to herself. "Perhaps we could have him stay again some time?"

Anne's eyes grew wide. "I don't...I don't know…"

"If he walks you home every day."

"How do you…" Anne looked up at Marilla.

She heard the door open and voices in the parlour. Gilbert was talking to Matthew. Matthew had always been a quiet man, but even Gilbert managed to get him talking. 

She smiled, thinking about how natural it felt to have him here. Maybe she should invite him over more... maybe.


End file.
